Turkey: We Have Approximately 700 People Waiting for Evacuation from Gaza

Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Yıldız indicated on Thursday that "about 700 people, including Turks, Turkish Cypriots, and Palestinians, have applied to Turkey for evacuation from Gaza." Yıldız spoke before the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament, stating: "There are 322 Turkish citizens, 104 Turkish Cypriots, and 214 Palestinians who are relatives of Turkish citizens waiting for evacuation." He added: "There are also 55 other Turkish government employees among those waiting for evacuation, including those working in government media and the Ministry of Health." During a visit to Egypt earlier this week, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated: "There are about 300 Turks in Gaza, and approximately 30 of them have been evacuated since the fighting began between Israeli forces and the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on October 7."